Governor OKs new
birth control pill rules

Pharmacists will get training on
dispensing "morning after" pills

Gov. Linda Lingle has approved administrative rules to govern pharmacists who will dispense "morning after" contraceptives without a prescription.

The rules were prepared by the state Board of Pharmacy to implement a law passed by the 2003 Legislature and signed by Lingle. They were drafted in consultation with the medical community and passed after a public hearing, according to an announcement by the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

The "morning after" pill is a higher dose of hormone contraception which temporarily stops eggs from being released if used within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse.

The goal of the emergency contraception program is to provide women with wider access to appropriate care to help prevent unintended pregnancies, according to the release.

Pharmacists who choose to participate will receive special training through the American College of Pharmacy Education. Each will operate under a collaborative agreement with a licensed physician. The agreement includes procedures for the pharmacist to assess the need for emergency drug therapy.

Hawaii is one of only five states with laws to permit the over-the-counter sales.

The law is controversial and opposed by anti-abortion advocates.

In May the acting director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research overruled his own staff to reject over-the-counter sales of one pharmaceutical company's "morning after" pill. Dr. Steven Galson cited concern about young teenagers' use of emergency contraception without a doctor's guidance. Galson said the agency will reconsider the decision if given more data.

The American Medical Association convention responded with support for over-the-counter sales, saying the FDA was wrong to reject such sales and urging doctors to write advance prescriptions.

"The overwhelming data is that it is safe, effective and usable across age groups," said Vivian Dickerson, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. "Clearly we know accidents can happen to anyone."